This is a story about a girl* who travels with her husband, eats out, has parties, wears nice jewelry and gets her nails and hair done regularly. She is a college graduate, who works full time, owns 2 cars and has the 2.5 kids. Certainly, she’s living the American dream. She lives in a nice apartment. Who says the American Dream requires owning your own home? Well, as long as you don’t want to buy a home that is.

Would you think she is still living the dream if she was living in that apartment as a result of financial limitations? In that case, I’ll clarify things for you. That nice apartment is cramped. She doesn’t want to live there. But she can’t afford to move because the $30,000 in combined debt is too high relative to her income to qualify her for a mortgage. Did I mention can barely afford the apartment? Sure, she pays her rent regularly, but it’s financially taxing. I should also mention that she can’t afford to move. How do you downsize from a 2-bedroom apartment for a family of 4 and a pet?

If you find yourself envying the social media version of your friend’s life, stop. Until you see their net worth and their monthly cash flow, take what is presented with a grain of salt.

(*This person is not theoretical. She’s real. These issues she faces are things we discussed.)